Improve Safety by Controlling Household Poisons
Some of the most common environmental health risks can impact a child’s health and development. These household poisons include carbon monoxide poisoning, mercury poisoning, household chemicals and pesticides, polluted water and lead poisoning. Each of these dangers could be present in your home. You can improve safety by controlling the amount of household poisons that your child is exposed to by putting a few preventative measures in place.
Poison Safety Tips
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
- Don’t leave cars or lawn equipment running in the garage.
- Never use gas ovens or burners for heating your home.
- Install carbon monoxide detectors. Place the detectors in sleeping areas. Change batteries twice a year as you would do with smoke detectors.
- Have any fuel-burning sources, such as a furnace, checked for safety once a year.
- Learn more about carbon monoxide poisoning
Mercury Poisoning
- Avoid feeding your child fish known for high levels of mercury (e.g., swordfish, shark,), and limit the amount of low-level mercury fish (e.g., canned light tuna, shrimp).
- Replace mercury thermometers with digital thermometers.
- Never clean up a mercury spill by yourself. Contact your local health or environmental department.
- Learn more about the health effects of mercury poisoning
Household Chemicals and Pesticides
- Store toxic chemicals and cleaning supplies where your child cannot reach them. Never transfer chemicals into containers that your child might mistake for a food, drink or toy.
- Don’t let your child play in any outdoor areas after you have used pesticides. Wait at least the recommended time listed on the pesticide label before allowing your child back into those areas.
- Wash all fruits and vegetables before serving them to your child or anyone in your family.
- Learn about safely storing chemicals and other poisons.
Polluted Water
- Get a yearly report of your town’s water quality from your local water supplier.
- If you use water from a private well, get the water tested yearly by a certified laboratory.
- Learn about drinking water quality.
Lead Poisoning
- Get your child tested for lead by their pediatrician.
- If your house was built before 1978, you should get it tested for lead paint.
- Get your water tested.
- Make sure your child washes their hands before eating. Wash bottles, toys and pacifiers often.
- Use only cold water for cooking, drinking and making baby formula.
- Learn more about protecting your kids from lead poisoning.
By becoming educated about these household dangers, you’re improving the health of your child.
